ORANGE Ex-Services coach Gail Kennewell says her side is prepared for today’s women’s Premier League Hockey derby against Orange Cougars.

This will be second time the two sides have met this season after Ex-Services won their opening-round match 3-1 in April.

Ex-Services will be without Kayla Orrock, who is away with the Northern Territory side at the Australian Under 18 Women’s Hockey Championships.

Kennewell said her players were looking forward to today’s match but they didn’t expect an easy encounter.

“We know the Cougars will be hard,” Kennewell said.

“We played them in the first round and both teams have had indifferent performances since.

“We always love these ones. We’re not confident but we’re prepared.”

The women’s competition had a general bye last weekend, but the week before Ex-Services played out a 3-all draw with Souths.

Kennewell said she was happy with this result after her side trailed the Bathurst side early.

“In our last game we played well and got ourselves back in the game. It was good to come from behind. It was encouraging,” Kennewell said.

“In the Souths game we got four or five scoring opportunities and we scored three. We know (Cougars’) defence will be strong but we think we’re up to the challenge. We have people across the field who can score, even defenders. We have plenty of options.”

Kennewell said another motivator for today’s game will be the Ex-Services girls wanting to send Australian under 21s team member Jade Warrender away with a win.

“We want to send her overseas feeling like she’s done good and set the team in the right direction,” Kennewell explained.

Ex-Services are fourth on the women’s PLH ladder on 20 points and Cougars are seventh with 10 points.

The two sides will clash at the Orange Hockey Centre today at 2.35pm.

Kinross-CYMS will take on Lithgow Zig Zag straight after at 4pm.

In other women’s PLH matches today Bathurst City will go up against cross-town rivals St Pat’s and Souths will host Lithgow Panthers.

Souths and Lithgow Zig Zag will bring forward their round 12 encounter by a week to 9am tomorrow morning.